What could have been, and what could still be (One-Shot)
by Stitch-Fan-3
Summary: One-shot. For Dawn, it's just another miserable night in Zootopia prison, until she has a dream that might make her rethink her future into a better possibility. Story better than title and summary. Rated K plus, just in case.


**Hey, guys. I'm back with another Zootopia one-shot. This will be a Bellwether and Lionheart pairing fanfic. There's not that many out there, so here's my own version of this pairing. Hope you enjoy.**

Another rough night in Zootopia prison. All inmates had returned to their cells for the night.

Former Mayor Dawn Bellwether was yet in another terrible mood today. She just heard that former Mayor Leodore Lionheart was released for good behavior today, overseen by none other than Nick and Judy Wilde.

It was obvious that Lionheart would never run for mayor again, after the missing mammal case, but he stated he would become a better mammal, having learnt from his experience in jail, and his stating of 'doing the wrong thing, for the right reason'.

Dawn could care less about what happened to that lion, seeing as how the way he treated her when he was mayor, but she recalled there were some good times she shared between her and Leodore.

Actually, there was one time she went out on a date with him. A business date at Zootopia's finest five-star restaurant, but it still counted as a date in her book.

Right after they finished their dinner, Lionheart asked Bellwether for a slow dance. The way they danced together, and the way Leodore referred to her by her first name, Dawn, for the first time. The way he said it...

Dawn shook her head. Why was she thinking about him like that, now? Was the guilt of her plan with the Night Howlers starting to weigh on her conscience? Could she even grow a conscience, now? Dawn shook her head again, set her glasses on her small table, and retired to her bed tonight, looking forward to yet another day in Zootopia prison with pretend optimism.

...

"Dawn! Breakfast is ready!"

Bellwether woke up in a groggy fashion, but in a way that showed she had a good night's sleep.

"Wait a minute..." Dawn said to herself. When Bellwether put her glasses back on, she found that she wasn't in the same bed she was in back at the prison. The room she was in wasn't the same either.

That voice she heard, too. It sounded so familiar. Bellwether didn't have to ponder for long, as Lionheart walked in, wearing a fancy robe.

"Morning, my Mrs. Lionheart. Did the baby keep you up at all, last night?" said Leodore.

Dawn was at a lost for words. 'Mrs. Lionheart?! Baby?!' she thought to herself.

"What's wrong, cat got your tongue?" Lionheart joked. "You must've had some dream to make you so speechless. Just take it easy today, and come down for breakfast when you're ready."

As soon as Leodore left, Dawn got out of bed, only to find that she felt a little heavier than she did. She went to the mirror in the room.

There, in her own reflection, she was wearing a dark pink oversize T-shirt, her glasses seemed different, too. They were purple in color. When she touched them with her hoof, she saw a lovely silver wedding band across her finger.

That wasn't what surprised her the most. She looked down to see her stomach had enlarged a lot. Dawn ran her hoof down her stomach, and as soon as she did, something pushed against her hoof inside. It was a kick. A baby's kick. Dawn looked to be nine months expecting. As if the words on her shirt read 'Baby' with an arrow pointing down to her belly wasn't obvious enough to her.

Dawn didn't know what to make of this. She couldn't find her voice to scream or stutter or anything.

"Hey, mom, dad! I'm heading to school, now!" a voice called downstairs.

Dawn walked downstairs, slowly and carefully due to the baby inside her, and she looked to see a boy sheep with white wool, but with light brown eyes, smiling at her.

"Hey, mom. I'm going to school, now. Luv ya!" the boy waved, and was at the door.

"Dawn, you're up!" Dawn turned to see Leodore standing above her.

"Did Luke already leave? Were you able to get downstairs okay?" he asked.

"I-I just... need to sit down and have something to drink for a second." Dawn said, as soon as she got her strength to speak again. "This morning is getting SO weird."

"Sure, dearie. I'll get ya some water. No coffee for you, though. Otherwise, our little tyke will be bouncing all around inside you, nonstop." Leodore chuckled.

'Okay, I know I have to be dreaming here.' Bellwether thought to herself. 'All I have to do is pinch myself, and I'll be awake, and never talk about this for-"

A soft thump interrupted her train of thought. Dawn looked down to see it was the baby kicking, again. She placed her hoof where she felt it kick.

It felt so... real.

Out of the corner of her eye, Dawn looked up to see a picture of her and Lionheart at an alter, presenting their wedding vows. Leodore looked so mesmerizing in his suit, and Dawn looked stunning in her white dress. She looked closer to see none other than Judy standing beside her, and Nick standing beside Leodore.

There was another picture of her in a hospital bed, holding a small bundle in her arms, with Luke's face peeking out of the blanket.

'Does that look like I'm crying?' Dawn thought.

Everything she was seeing had just about made her heart melt.

"Dawn? Are you looking okay?" Dawn turned to see Leodore kneeling down next to her.

Dawn just couldn't hold it in any longer, and just wrapped her arms around Leodore's mane.

"Oh, Leo. I've never felt better." Dawn sobbed. "Sorry, it must be... the baby making me emotional."

"Ah, well, you'll have that when you're with child." chuckled Leodore. "Say, what do you say we go spend the day down at the beach? I'm not up for a swim, but, it's a nice, sunny and breezy day for a stroll."

"I'd love that." she said, softly.

...

Dawn didn't remember much of the drive over to the beach, it was a blur. But soon, she found herself looking over the sand, and the sky, and the water from a wooden boardwalk.

Dawn was dressed in her usual attire. Her denim jacket, her light blouse with flowers, her flower pin on her jacket, and her bell necklace. The only thing that stood out differently was her bulging belly, which she cradled, lovingly and motherly.

Dawn couldn't find any word for what she was feeling right now, except, that she was happy. The happiest she's ever felt in a long time.

Standing next to her was Leodore, dressed in a nice, light collared shirt and pants. Dawn felt herself being scooped in his arms, and held gently.

"This was the spot where you and I confessed our love to each other. Remember?" smiled Leodore.

Dawn, knowing this was still a dream, but didn't care at this point, nodded. Dawn then gasped, as she wrapped her arms across her belly.

"You alright, dearest?" said Leodore.

"Yes, Leo. I think the baby's kicking a lot harder, today." said Dawn.

Leodore gently nose-rubbed against Dawn's stomach. "Can't wait to see momma and daddy, huh, squirt?"

"Come on, honey. We gotta go pick up Luke." Leodore said, as he laid Dawn into her car seat.

Dawn gasped again, as that strange feeling in her belly came back, only stronger.

"Um, Leodore. I-I think it's time." she said.

"Wha- Now?!" said Leodore, as he just started the car. "Okay, we'll get Judy and Nick to pick up Luke, and tell them to meet us at the hospital."

Dawn just nodded. Even for a dream, the pain was feeling all-too real, as well.

...

The drive to the hospital, the procedure of giving birth, Dawn could barely remember any of it. All she did remember was coming back into consciousness, hearing Leodore's voice.

"Leo?" she asked.

"Hey, dearest. You're gonna be okay." Leodore said, taking her hoof in his paw.

"Well, Mrs. Lionheart. Here's your daughter." the deer nurse presented Dawn with a small bundle in a pink blanket.

Dawn removed the part of the blanket to reveal a lioness cub, but with her mother's green eyes.

"Oh, Dawn. She's beautiful." whispered Leodore.

"I know." Dawn sniffed, holding her daughter close. "She's the most beautiful thing I ever saw." Dawn couldn't stop the tears from falling. Tears that were both filled with bitter regret for how she viewed predators, and joy at how she could come to love something so innocent, and so radiant, as her lioness of a daughter.

"Momma! Pop!" Luke called, as he rushed to his parents' side, Nick and Judy right behind him.

"Hey, Dawn. Looks like we were right on time. Your daughter looks so beautiful, too." said Judy.

"So, she got a name, yet, Fluffy?" Nick asked, in a teasingly humorous matter. Judy elbowed him playfully for that.

Dawn looked down at her daughter again, and said, "Mia. That's her name. Mia."

"I love it, dearest." Leodore said, as he kissed Dawn's forehead.

"Hi, Mia. I'm your big brother, Luke." whispered Luke.

The baby cooed, as Dawn rocked her. "My baby, Mia..."

...

"RISE AND SHINE, YOU LOWLIFES OF ZOOTOPIA!"

Dawn's eyes snapped open. She looked around to see she was back in her cell. Dawn could literally hear her own heart break.

"Oh, just give me five more minutes!" Bellwether whined into her pillow.

"Get up, Smellwether! You got laundry duty, today!" The female pig guard bellowed.

Bellwether groaned, and got up, and led out of her cell by the guard.

As Bellwether walked down the hall, she thought to herself. Maybe, she could make that dream a reality, someday. Maybe, that dream was like a wake-up call for her, to make amends to those she hurt in her plan to take over the city, to working into becoming a better mammal, and most importantly, tell Leodore how she really felt for him.

Dawn nodded to herself, as she made herself determined to work hard on getting released early for good behavior, so she could make all she thought and dreamt possible.

"Hey, what're you smiling at?! It better not be you thinking of something diabolical! Eyes front!" shouted the guard.

Dawn continued smiling as she made her way to the laundry room, not smiling because she was looking forward to get out and be her conniving self, but to surprise everyone that she would be a changed ewe. A ewe with a loving husband and two lovely children in her possible future.

 **Well, guys. Another one-shot filled with cute/fluff stuff down. Hope you all enjoyed it. I own nothing, except the OC's, Luke and Mia. All rights go to original owners. No copyright intended. Stay tuned for more fanfic stuff here. Thanks.**


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